Cutter-bar jack



April 14, 1925. y 1,533,559

J. LAPSHANSKY CUTTER BAR vJACK Fil-ed Sept. 8, 1924 @Het new PatentedApr. 14, 1925.

JOHN LAPSHANSKY, 0F NOKOMIS, ILLINOIS.

CUTTER-BAR JACK.

Application led September 8, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LArsnANsxr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nokomis, in the county of Montgomery and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutter-Bar Jacks,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved jack, which I havespecially designed for use in conjunction with the cutter bary on aconventional coal cutting machine.

What I aim to do is to modify the usual shoe, with its tilting andlevelling standard, the standard in the present instance being providedwith a toothed rack, with which a rotatably mounted pinion is adapted tomesh, for raising and lowering the cutter bar to a desired elevation,the pinion being rotated by novel and conveniently located means.

It is a feature of the invention to arrange the pinion and its operatingmeans within a recess formed in the usual yoke and to cover these with aprotecting plate, so that they ma not become disarranged or injured.

ther features and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description and drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the cutter bar, with a jackconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section, taken on the plane of the line 2-2 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4L is a section, taken on the line 4-4L of Figure 1.

In the drawings, the conventional cutter bar is designated by thereference character 1. As is usual, this bar is provided with anelongated guide slot 2, to accommodate the standard 3 of the jack.Extending crosswise of the upper side of the cutter bar is a cross piece4: which is commonly referred to as a yoke. Although I have not shownit, this yoke is slidably connected to the cutter bar, so that when itis lifted the cutter bar will be lifted with it. I have shown the yokeequipped with chain guards 5. In carrying out the present invention,

Serial No. `736,611.

thev yoke is provided Vin its top with a specially shaped recess toaccommodate the parts of the jack. It is also provided with a bore 6,which intersects the recess,`and serves to accommodate the standard 3 ofthe jack. This standard is pvotally connected as at 7 between thecentrally disposed lugs of a cup shaped base 8, frequently referred toas a shoe. Obviously this shoe is adapted to rest on the mine floor andthe pivotal con nection of the standard permits tilting and levelling ofthe cutter bar. As before intimated, one edge of the standard isprovided with a plurality of rack teeth 9.v Meshing with these rackteeth is a small pinion 10,

keyed upon the horizontal shaft 11, jour` naled in appropriate bearingsprovided in the aforesaid recess. Also keyed on the shaft and located atthe opposite end is a small gear 19., with which the threads of a worm13 meshes. The worm is disposed vertically and is rotatably mounted inthe specially formed portion of the recess provided, and has its shank14 extending through an opening formed in the cover and protecting plate15. The extremity of the shank is flat faced to permit a wrench to beconnected thereto. The cover plate extends over the pinion, gear andshaft, together with the threads of the worm, and serves to fullyprotect these parts. It may be held in place by screws or the like.

It is quite clear that by engaging a wrench with the flat faced portionof the shank 14 of the worm and rotating the latter, the shaft 11 willbe rotated. As this carries the pinion 10, the rotation of the latter,which is in mesh with the rack teeth will raise and lower the cutterbar. As the cutter bar moves into and under the coal, the jack and yokewill remain stationary, this being permitted by the elongated slot 2.

It occurs that the foregoing description if read carefully with thedrawings will suiice to enable .a clear understanding of the inventionto be attained. Therefore, a more detailed description is thoughtunnecessary.

I claim:

A device of the class described comprising a cutter bar provided with anelongated guide slot, a yoke extending crosswise of the top of saidcutter bar and in slidable contact therewith, said yoke being providedwith a vertically disposed bore in alignment with said slot, the upperside of the yoke being recessed, a cover plate for said recess,

a base located loeneath said cutter hair, a standard p'ivotallyconnected 'to said 'base and rising therefrom and extending slida-blythrough said slot and then through said bore, one edge of saidstandardbeing provided With rack teeth, a shaft rotatably mounted in theaforesaid rec-ess and provided on one end With a pinion in mesh with theteeth of said rack, and at its opposite l0 end with a. gear, avertically Vdisposed and rotatably mounted Worm also located in saidrecess, and vhaving its vthreads engaging the teeth of said gear, theshank of said Worm extending through an opening in the aforesaid coverplate and having its extremity fashioned to permit engagement of theWrench therewith.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature JOHN LAPSHANSKY.

